Shoes of the prior art have frequently incorporated into the shoe upper heel counters, i.e., a stiffener to give form to a shoe upper around the area of the heel. In athletic shoes, wherein the shoe is subjected to more vigorous motion than a normal walking shoe, counters have been subject to premature fatigue. The fatigue can result in loss of rigidity of the counter, splitting of the counter, or breaking away of the counter from its juncture to the sole. As the heel counter fatigues, heel stability, i.e., the capability of the shoe to exert a stabilizing influence on the foot in the area of the heel, particularly in the lateral direction, may lessen.
It is believed that the fatigue of heel counters is caused by excessive motion of the rear foot by some runners, and the tendency of some runners to pronate, i.e., to roll the foot inwardly during running. The problem of heel counter fatigue and the need for the heel stability is even more acute with heavier athletes. Furthermore, the problem of heel counter fatigue and the need for greater heel stability increases when relatively thick cushioning intermediate sole layers are incorporated into the athletic shoe. Thick intermediate cushioning sole layers are frequently used in present day running and jogging shoes.